Turned in by his community, the extremist who wanted to belong

You —

Isa Ibrahim was a familiar, if not trusted, figure at mosques in Bristol. When he appeared with cut hands, alarm bells rang

The conviction of Isa Ibrahim is seen by police as a model of how communities and law enforcement agencies can work together to root out would-be terrorists. Ibrahim, a Muslim convert from a middle-class background, was not known as an extremist to the police or the security services. Detectives only got to him because the Muslim community in Bristol went to officers with their concerns.

Avon and Somerset police say it is the first time in the UK that an Islamist terrorist has been caught after both the tip-off and the identification of the suspect came from the community. The force believes this co-operation prevented Ibrahim from launching an attack on the Broadmead shopping centre in the city after experimenting with homemade explosives for several months.

Detective Superintendent Kevin Hazell, of Avon and Somerset police, said: "This is the first time that from start to finish all the information about a terrorist suspect came from the community. They raised concerns about his behaviour. They provided a name and description. They even eventually came up with a photograph of him." ...

Read more @ The Guardian

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You — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 - 02:37

There should have been people there to help him when he needed it. Is the Muslim community doing enough to protect converts?

...Ibrahim used the internet to find instructions on how to make explosives from household products such as hydrogen peroxide.

He claimed he had no intent to harm but just wanted to set the vest off and film it for video website YouTube.

Summing up, the judge, Mr Justice Butterfield, had told the jury the prosecution's case was that he was a "disturbed" and "alienated" adolescent who had become radicalised...

The Guardian